Emergency steering device.



Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

IMVEMTOR:

WILLIAM A. METZLER,

WILLIAM ALEXANDER ME'TZLER, 0F MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

EMERGENCY STEERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3%, 191%.

Application filed September 2, 1916. SeriaI No. 118,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that 1, WILLIAM ALEXANDER Mn'rzLnn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Moncton, in the Province of New Brunswick, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency Steering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in emergency steering devices for ships and the objects of the invention are, to permit of the device being installed in ships being built or at present in use, to enable the ship to turn quickly in case of any imminent dan: ger, to permit of the speed being quickly reduced, to assist in docking, to enable a ship even when the main steering gear is disabled, being kept under control sothat it may be safely brought to its destination without reduction of speed or other inconveniences, and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists essentially of the. improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying'drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a shlps hull embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly sectional, of a water-tight compartment, showing the fin plate located therein.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the watertight compartment showing the fin plate therein, and means for operating the same.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hull of a ship provided near the stern and on each side with a transversely extending water-tight compartment 10, the outer wall of which is formed of the ships plates, provided with an orifice 11 therethrough.

These compartments are in the embodiment. illustrated located below the normal water line, but they may be extended above the plimsol mark if such is found necessary or advisable.

Each of these compartments house an outwardly displaceable fin plate 12, the outer end of which slidably engages with the oriflee 11, the upper and lower edges of the sand fin plate being supported by the rollers 13 extending transversely across the compartment 10 while the lateral faces engage with the vertically disposed rollers 14.

These fin plates are designed to be moved outwardly at substantially right angles to the hull of the ship, and to this end are provided on one face and intermediate of the height thereof with a rack 15, adapted to mesh with the pinion 16 carried by the vertically disposed shaft 17 the upper end of which is provided with a worm wheel 18, adapted to be engaged by a worm mounted on the shaft of the motor 19.

To prevent any leaka e of water into the ship past the shafts 1?, suitable packing boxes 20 are mounted on the top of the compartment 10, and engage with the said shafts. Switch mechanism is also mounted on the ships bridge whereby the officer in charge can control the operation of the motors 19.

The assembly of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

When a steering means of this description has been installed on a ship, and due to the incapacity of the ordinary rudder, is in use, it is only necessary for the oflicer in charge to actuate the switch mechanism on the bridge thereof, operating the motors 19 so causing either of the fin plates 12 to be displaced outwardly, so controlling the course of the ship. The amount by which the pin plates 12 are displaced will depend entirely on the speed with which it is desired to alter the ships course, and should it be found necessary to quickly take the way of the ship, this can be accomplished by simulta neously operating both pin plates 12, so that they will extend to their fullest extent from the hull of the ship and offer considerable resistance to the motion of the ship through the Water.

It will be understood that this emergency steering device may if desired be used as an auxiliary with the usual rudder or to replace the usual steering means when the same is disabled due to accident, so that the ship can always make port under its own steam, and will not incur the expense or necessity of being towed.

From this descriptionit will be seen that I have invented an emergency steering device which can be installed on new ships or those at present in use and is capable of being controlled from the ships bridge, the construction of the several parts being of the simplest nature so that there is little or no possibility of their going out of repair.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of my invention, Within the scope of the claims, constructed Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

In combination With a ships hull having a vertical opening in each side thereof, a box extending transversely of the ship inclosing each opening, a vertical fin having a flat side and longitudinal strengthening ribs on @opies of this patent may be obtained for the other side, a rack located between the ribs, a plurality of vertical friction rollers on each side of the fin extending from the top to the bottom of the box, a plurality of horizontally disposed friction rollers engaging With the upper end and lower edges of the fin, and a pinion meshing with the rack designed to extend the fins from the box and retract the same, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER METZLER.

Witnesses:

RosLYN S. CADMAN, ANDREW A. ALLEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batcnts, Washington, D. G." 

